European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 13, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                10 the stars and stripes Somalia wednesday january 13.1993, task Force gears up for action by Craig Martin staff writer Beli Dogle Somalia members of the Germany based task Force 5-158 arc in place in Beli Dogle and arc expected to be fully operational no later than Early next week. It. Gol. Gary Coleman task Force commander in this Small isolated town some 50 Miles North of Mogadishu also has adopted safety procedures to protect his troops. In an interview Coleman earlier this month he outlined rules of engagement for task Force soldiers. The task Force is to provide air support to . And other forces in Somalia supporting operation restore Hope the american led . Relief Effort in Somalia Coleman told the stars and stripes. He said task Force members could be called on to provide air assault troop and equipment transport medical evacuation and other assistance. Task Force soldiers and their 465 vehicles formed a Convoy last week leaving a staging area in Mogadishu for Beli Dogle. Their vehicles and equipment Are a a a Idt Shu aboard Rived at the port in Bogac s4sf John Bohmer the civilian transport ship american fal task Force 5-158 vehicles leave a staging area West of Mogn con on Jan. I. Coleman decided to return the task a Hub Pter units in an attempt to avoid dish Assembly Point for vehicles shipped from Livorno Italy forces 502nd aviation regt to Germany and most of the soldiers arrived in Mannheim late saturday night. He said other . And Allied units could Airlift troops and equipment which was to be the chief task Tor the Mannheim unit and its 16 ch-47d Chinook helicopters. Soldiers taking part in last weeks Convoy to Beli Dogle wore flak vests and Kevlar helmets on the journey. They kept their weapons loaded with ammunition in the chamber. Each Convoy segment con Sis cd of 30 to 35 vehicles and left the staging area at 15-minute intervals for the two hour trip. Coleman issued a number of orders to hostile encounters with warring bands of somalis. He ordered aviators. A to avoid flying Over villages where bandits can easily hide. A to Fly at altitudes of 2,000 feet out of Range of Small arms fire and some heavier weapons including .50-caliber machine guns and in some cases weapons requiring More than one person to operate. Coleman said he has seen anti air Craft weapons that were operational but Dogle with satellite operations in Bairoa none has been used against task Force Mogadishu and Kismay members. A to Fly in groups of at least two air a Craft on every Mission including air evac operating under the . Central come s rules of engagement task Force soldiers Are allowed to shoot when fired upon and can use necessary Force to keep supplies and equipment from being stolen Coleman said. That necessary Force includes striking individuals with the butt of the soldiers weapons. As of late last week no task Force aircraft had been fired on. Task Force 5-158 includes 30 Ger Many based Black Hawk helicopters and the Wiesbaden unit is the 7th medical their Crews and support personnel be Comdr a contribution to the v corps task longing to v corps and the 7th medical nations. A to ensure that each uh-60 Black Hawk helicopter is armed with two mounted m-60 machine guns and gunners. A to ensure that aircrew members Are armed with personal weapons. Capt. Peter smart maintenance officer for the 159th medical co from Wiesbaden Germany said his units air ambulance Black Hawks will be based at Beli Force. Come. Ragtag police offer Glimmer of authority by Denis d. Gray the associated press Kismay Somalia a with their snowy hair stooped frames and tattered uniforms they look like Somalia a Over the Hill gang. Their thin canes Are no match for the machine guns wielded by the thugs who menace them. But these remnants of the county s respected police Force constitute the sole surviving civic institution. They Are the offer of Hope for the future a albeit one As threadbare As their Blue berets. The National police which numbered 3,000 men ceased to function when War among rival clans plunged the country into chaos in Early 1991, but Many policemen kept their uniforms and hid their weapons at Home. When . Army Brig. Gen. Lawson w. Magruder 111 sought a Quot Glimmer of authority Quot in the rudderless Southern port City of Kismay he was invited to come to the police station. Magruder said in a recent interview he was surprised to see More than 150 policemen a Many past their prime a in formation and ready to go to work without pay or weapons. They snapped a smart British style Salute. Similar scenes were played out in other towns secured by the .-led forces including Bairoa Barbera and parts of Mogadishu the somalian capital. There police cling to shreds of dignity despite being routinely ignored by strutting gunmen and speeding  Are the National police Force. We support no faction. We Are Neutral a col Mohamed sheikh Dahir Kismay police chief Quot i am a policeman. 1 do it for the people Quot said traffic cop Ahmed Bane 39, when asked Why he remained at his Post despite two Bullet wounds and no pay. He was interviewed while being treated at a . Navy clinic after he had been struck by a 45pound drum that rolled off a truck. In Kismay one of Somalia a most Lawless spots the police managed to retain some cohesion and refused to be pressured into taking sides during the civil War according to the . Military. Quot we Are the National police Force. We support no faction. We Are Neutral Quot said col. Mohamed sheikh Dahir 27, the police chief. He refused to give his clan affiliation. He said he had 300 men under his command but was Short of weapons. Magruder who commands the joint .-belgian Force in Kismay said he had no authority to Arm train or pay the police. But those who help Allied troops at checkpoints and perform minor Security duties Are Given bottled water and one packet of dry . Military rations daily. The policemen could unquestionably be swatted aside by Somalia a warlords and gangs if they did not enjoy the backing of the . And Allied forces. And their current number and effectiveness is woefully Low. But Given the police Quot Force s history of non partisan professionalism and its current Good standing in the Community . And . Authorities Hope the thin Blue line can serve As the foundation of an apolitical Agency of Law and order. The . Coordinator for humanitarian affairs Philip Johnston said a National police Force was one of the 10 top priority items in the world body a 1993 reconstruction plan for Somalia. Washington is looking at immediate measures to help the police and the United nations has asked Germany to provide Long term assistance in recruiting training paying and equipping the Force. Although the Force traces its roots to a time when Italy and great Britain held areas of what is now Somalia West German advisers played a major role in helping to create an anomaly in this me and my can first society. A it appears the germans did a Good Job in training and sensitizing a cadre in the police Force who saw. Their responsibility As National and not responsive to a political or clan perspective Quot Johnston said. Dictator Mohammed Siad Barre whose ouster in january 1991 precipitated the civil War made some attempts to subvert police neutrality. But he assigned his special secret service rather than the police to Quot political